TAP take-off ; Funchal new year fireworks ; PGA Golf date ; Now we are all fuelled up
Today’s photo – Many thanks to Martin
One of Martins more abstract contributions of a rather unhealthy looking breakfast.
"First visit was to see the Madeira wine Story in the Old Blandy Wine Lodge in the centre of Funchal. Their museum has many historical items [letters from Winston Churchill ] and artefacts on winemaking in Madeira. Wine is still made in the lodge and we followed the progress of the production of the wine with the added pleasure of wonderful smells coming from the maturing wine in the barrels". ANOTHER WINE BUFF’S STORY
A few great photos from the New Year 2010 firework display FUNCHAL FIREWORKS
And from Tobi from New Year night in Funchal … "My photos were rubbish and to much smoke, there are a couple that are passable" :
I really liked this video of a TAP flight taking off from Madeira Airport, especially the close up shots. Even watching it on a computer screen, I felt my right foot ‘pressing the accelerator’ as it sped off down the runway (am I the only person who does that when taking off, are there like minded ‘foot on the gas’ people?). But was the pilot playing Bingo?
"Arthur Pita presents his new dance-theatre creation God’s Garden, which will tour this month and next (from Jan 23, Jerwood Dance House, Ipswich). The volcanic paradise of Madeira provides the setting for a piece based on the parable of the Prodigal Son, here imagined as the golden boy of the Costa family. The piece boasts live fado music". From the UK TIMES Newspaper, a chance to see Madeira without getting on a plane perhaps.
Tobi found this one … "this is a good vid of the fireworks, its filmed from high up , and you can really see the shape of the fireworks a lot better". Thanks Tobi.
GOLF : One for the diary : Europe.- Men, PGA European Tour – Madeira Islands Open BPI-Portugal (Porto Santo). 15-18 April : tbc
Many thanks to Elaine once again for yesterday’s top new year news stories :
Postman attacked with pepper spray. The attack occurred in São João in Funchal. He was distributing mail when approached by a group of individuals who asked him for money. After a negative reply, they threw an orange liquid at his eyes which temporarily blinded him. The bombeiros gave first aid then transported him to hospital. The PSP were informed and are investigating. Pepper spray is illegal for civilian use. It irritates the mucous membranes and the effects can last from 30 minutes to nearly two hours.
PSP agent prevents a suicide in the old zone of Funchal. On December 20, the speed and ‘cold blood’ of a policeman prevented a tragedy. Near the cable car, around 13.00, a 34 year old man was leaning over the sea wall and screaming that he was about to kill himself. He said he would throw himself into the sea if anyone approached him. As there was not enough time to wait for the trained negotiator, the PSP agent approached the man, undetected, grabbed him and pulled him to the ground. The man was eventually taken to hospital. The 33 year old officer has been in the force for 11 years and said, "It was the first time I came across a situation like this, I knew I had to act quickly and fortunately it ended in the best way."
Transfer of fuel. The tanker ‘Madeiro’ arrived on Christmas Day and has been unable to unload due to bad weather. Now with a break in the stormy weather, the island’s power supply is guaranteed with the stocks re-inforced. The ‘Madeiro’ has discharged part of the 18,000 tons of fuel in its tanks, which are vital for the supply of major power companies and other industries, and should finish unloading today. On Sunday, the tanker is expected to visit Porto Santo but the forecast is for 4 – 6 metre waves, which might prevent unloading. The Porto Santo ferry is not scheduled to sail today, but the passengers who came to Madeira for the New Year should be able to return tomorrow.
PND want Toco in the rubbish bin. The damage caused in the recent days by the bad weather justifies the suspension of the project for Toco in Funchal, according to the PND. The recent storm damage to the swimming pool complex at Barreira necessitates the Government to readjust its coastal policy. As well as the lack of money, the fact that other promenades and the Barreirinha swimming complex were badly damaged, means that the project for Toco should go into the dustbin.
Day of the City of Santana without anyone from the Government present. There will be no members of the Regional Government present at today’s official celebrations of the Day of the City of Santana. Rui Moses explained that invitations were sent out later than expected. Also, the date is not very convenient and needs to be changed. Santana was elevated to city status in 2001.
Left Bloc proposal for the centennial of the Republic. On 5 October 2010, Portugal will have been a Republic for 100 years. As well as national celebrations, the Left Bloc wants regional events. A draft decree for a regional commission to be set up, will be delivered to the Legislative Assembly for discussion in January. It is justified as the region is part of the Republic and both Madeira and Porto Santo should be proud of this fact. The autonomous regions were created by the provisions of the Constitution of the Republic and this fact should be highlighted throughout the year. The regional committee should report back in April for celebrations to be held in the second half of the year. There should be events honouring the spirit of the Portuguese although President Jardim no longer harbours strong feelings for the Portuguese.
OCM aims for new record. The Classical Orchestra of Madeira want to record a new album in 2010, having launched last November a compilation of five discs dedicated to Mozart. The conductor Rui Massena wants to release a more commercial disc. It could be fusion or film music or Vienna Waltzes. The Orchestra is still without a residential base. They will depend on negotiations with Pestana about continuing the use of the Casino before they can plan beyond March. The island requires a new hall with acoustics suited to concerts.
Eurico Martins wants more regional interest in the Bandolins. Eurico Martins is the director of the Recreio Musical União da Mocidade, (Bandolins of Madeira), a group made up of nine youngsters from São Roque. The director wants to hold more public concerts in 2010. They aim for a tour of the UK this year, including Bristol where they have had a good reception in the past. Performances will be held weekly at 21.00 on Fridays at the English Church in Funchal. There is a performance tomorrow at 21.00 at this location.
Free performances of Cantar os Reis. 6 January is the Dia de Reis, and to celebrate it in Madeira and Porto Santo are the performances ‘Cantar os Reis’. At the auditorium in the Municipal Garden in Funchal, the Associacoa Cultural Encontros da Eira will host a free show at 21.30 on Tuesday 5th January. In Machico, the performance will be on Saturday 2 January at 20.30 in the Largo da Praça. At Porto Santo, the show will start at 21.30 on the 5th January, in the Largo das Palmeiras. All shows are free.
Thousands of Euros in gold stolen. Thieves burgled a jewellers shop in Rua do Bom Jesus in Funchal on the night of 25 – 26 December at around 1.30 am. They stole 60 gold necklaces, some worth 1,500 Euros, despite triggering the alarm. They disappeared before the police arrived.
Elaine also found these articles in the New Year’s Day edition of the Jornal da Madeira. Many thanks.
Cuisine combines with the New Year’s Eve party. New Year’s Eve in Madeira, or reveillon, as many prefer to call it with the use of foreign words, typical of a tourist region par excellence, is an event appreciated by Madeirans. Inevitably, as the festa was celebrated at the table with plenty, New Year’s Eve is another reason to gather family and friends. But those who have neither home or family living in the district of Funchal, overlooking the amphitheatre, continue to celebrate New Year’s Eve by carrying food and drink to the chosen location to see the fireworks display. There is not an exact menu for New Year’s Eve, however being a special night and traditionally cold, one cannot miss the delicacies to "warm" the body and soul.
At the table there are many liqueurs with various aromas and flavours, new wine and our traditional Madeira Wine. In small dishes are served the "teeth" (dentinhos), normally pickled vegetables, stewed beans, pig’s feet, stewed offal of chicken, and meat in wine and garlic. In terms of sweets, home made bolo de mel, cheese, and broas de mel. Under the influence of large areas of food distribution, the "bolo rei" is also present.
At the time of celebrating New Year’s Eve, superstitions come to the fore. A piece of new underwear, money in the pocket, raisins and champagne are among others. The famous 12 raisins represent the 12 months of the year. It is believed that if you make a wish with every piece of dried fruit you eat, they will become a reality. After the euphoria of New Year’s Eve and fireworks, it is an ideal time to enjoy reinvigorating chicken soup, served hot and according to tradition, accompanied by chicken sandwiches. All around the region, New Year’s Eve supper is not much different, although in some counties a festive tradition leads many families to taste other delicacies.
In Porto Moniz, the Festa is seized by many families for the traditional "Carne Santa", a mixture of beef and pork marinaded overnight, mainly consumed on Christmas Eve but also tasted during this festive season. Alongside this traditional dish, on the table in the north is "Semilhas Bêbedas", potatoes cooked in wine. Also in the north, "Carne da Noite" cooked with potatoes, pork products from the recent "funcao" made with dry wine, accompanied by vegetables. On the south coast, particularly in Machico, the emphasis is on tasting "Bucho de Porco Recheado". Traditionally served at Christmas, this delicacy is enjoyed at the table until the festivities of Santo Amaro. In Santa Cruz, the tradition is the "Carne Frescal" which is somewhat similar to meat in wine and garlic. With white wine, red wine, Madeira Wine, herbs and garlic, the meat is marinaded for three days then baked in a pan. In Funchal, the lead role is taken by two dishes; roast pork with potatoes or chestnuts and chicken in the pot, following the traditions that pass from generation to generation without major changes.
Funchal welcomed thousands in the farewell to 2009. Thousands and thousands of people descended into Funchal. With the help of good weather, the capital of Madeira "was alert" already with some movement, and the tourists were the largest "slice" of those who thronged the streets of Funchal. Our news team made a circuit of the city and found that, indeed, the "smell" of the new year was already in the air. We started by going to the Mercado dos Lavradores where flowers, typical or not of Madeira, were the most photographed and acquired. The flashes did not stop going off.
After a walk around the space which that night would be the scene of celebration, we went down Rua do Visconde de Anadia to the Praça da Autonomia. Of the six stalls located there, two were already open by 10 am, selling the bolo do caco and bread with chorizo. Ahead of us on the promenade by the sea, the seller of roasted chestnuts was doing business with the tourists from the three ships which were already docked in Funchal, "Queen Victoria", "Boudicca" and "Aida Luna". Three more ships would arrive later, the "Amadea", "Oriana" and "Saga Ruby". Next to the stall of chestnuts, company officials responsible for the fireworks display tended to the material already placed at the stations ready for the stroke of midnight. On the pier hundreds of people watched the bay from the capital of Madeira and some posed for photos.
We walked up the Avenida Zarco and travelled throughout the central area of Avenida Arriaga. There the movement was even greater. Many, many people visited the various Christmas projects that the Regional Government, through the Regional Secretariat of Tourism and Culture, conceived for that space. In front of the building of the Regional Government, in the bandstand put there, a band played "Adeste Fidelis". At the tables on the nearby terrace, as well as on the concrete benches scattered around the avenue, the avenue was crowded with people. "Fantastic" we heard a foreigner, probably British, say to her husband as she photographed the crib next to the Se.
On the return to JM, we passed along the streets João Tavira, Queimada de Cima e Baixo and the Largo do Chafariz. No time to enter the establishments, we launched a sneak peek inside some of the shops, noting that many had chosen to buy a new item of clothing for the entry into 2010. There are many superstitions, one of them for example, enter the new year wearing a piece of yellow clothing. The Rua dr. Fernão de Ornelas was also full of people. Increasingly, we heard the words "Bom Ano". Already at the end of the morning and near the closing hour of our edition, folklore groups roamed the main streets of Funchal leaving an increasingly festive atmosphere. As we guessed, a great New Year’s Eve, as always.
Today’s news headlines from the front page of the Diário de Notícias :
(The truth is I didn’t expect a newspaper today, so I will have to keep it short as I have other things planned).
Most of today’s front page is taken up with a magnificent photo of the night sky over Funchal, lit by an abundance of assorted colour fireworks : Luck with the weather helped fortunate firework display – The magnificent spectacle ‘Ilhas Afortunadas’ was the usual success and counted on the help of São Pedro. But the night saw several fires, an injury through a ‘bomb’ and some people in alcoholic comas. 19 thousand tons of fireworks and 97 thousand explosions guaranteed the success of the night of the new year, but the show had luck on it’s side through the weather which eased off for the night. Somehow I doubt if it was 19 thousand tons of fireworks, but the Diário seems to be littered with mistakes today, but hopefully not through alcoholic comas. Not many photos, but you can see some small but excellent ones HERE in the Diário.
Today’s main news headline : Heroin at the front of the fears – At least in this decade, it is the first time that heroine tops the list of various types of drugs seized on Madeira. This hard drug causes greater damage than cocaine and the others of the type.
Socialist against gay marriage – The parliamentarian Carlos Preira concedes on the union of people the same sex, but is against the PS from there on the idea of marriage.
Lara was born in Funchal in the first hours of 2010. The first baby of 2010 was born at 1.35 in the morning of 1st January, weighing 3 kilos and 700 grams. She is called Lara, and already has a three year old sibling. Mum even managed to watch the Funchal fireworks before the birth, albeit through the windows of the maternity unit.
And finally the sports / football headline : Public return timidly to the stadiums. More than half of the growth of spectators derives from the influx at the Stadium of Light [Benfica]. The overall crowds at the first 14 matches throughout Portugal saw a growth of spectators of 5.4% compared to the same period in the previous season. The 7 home games of Nacional have so far attracted just 14,680 spectators (9,275 – 2008), whilst Marítimo fared better as always with 27,651 paying fans but with a considerable fall (38,294 – 2008). There’s a chart with all the figures HERE, but again it has a few obvious mistakes.
If anyone else can oblige with the translation of any of the ‘blank’ or sparsely filled headlines, or other news stories, here is the link. All contributions much appreciated.
Another daily blog visitor record set yesterday, with a whopping 594 visits, mostly looking for information or footage of our new year firework display.
I reckon the nets at the offshore fish farm at Campanário must have broken again, as looking down to the beach there are loads of fishermen there again this morning, and the numbers seem to be growing daily. The fishing bonanza now seems to be an annual event, always after rough seas, and must cost the owners of the fish farm a small fortune in losses.
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Christmas only for the great. Political Christmas party rivalry. With three elections this year, the smallest parties have no funds for gatherings. The PSD and the PS will have large celebrations in Madeira Tecnopolo. The PCP (Communists) have never held dinners at this time and the funds will be spent on their convention in February. The MPT (Earth Party) also have insufficient funds. Of the three large parties, only the CDS-PP have a different choice of location for the Christmas dinner; 200 met yesterday in a restaurant in Encumeada. Last year, there were over 1,500 PSD members in the Tecnopolo and this year, the organizers expect a similar number. It will be at 20.00 on 12 December. With the usual protocol, the regional leader, Alberto Jardim, will open the official speeches before the dinner. The Socialists expect a more ambitious gathering than last year when there were 800 at the meal. This year, they expect 1,200 to 1,400 at Tecnopolo. This is scheduled for December 19 at 19.30, with a speech by the party leader João Carlos Gouveia. On 20 December, the Socialists Funchal branch will also hold a Christmas party for children belonging to the militants.
Câmara de Lobos lights up tonight. In Câmara de Lobos, they maintain the tradition of the official opening of the Christmas celebrations on the public holiday assigned to today. In ‘baixa’, the House of Father Christmas at the entrance to the city is the ‘card’ for the visitor. A traditional nativity scene is by the Municipal Market. In the vicinity of the Town Hall, at the entrance to Avenida da Nova Cidade, the garden is decorated with a large nativity scene with a background of the traditional houses of Santana. Other areas for excellent decorations are the churches where the presepios and lapinhas have been authentically constructed.
Fire at Panteada Market. Fire broke out early on Tuesday morning at Panteada Market in Sao Roque, causing extensive damage to 12 fruit and vegetable stalls. The warning was given at 07.07 and two emergency fire vehicles and two ambulances went to the site, manned by 15 men. The firemen wearing breathing apparatus broke down the corrugated zinc door and roof to extinguish the flames and allow the smoke to escape. It is thought that a short-circuit causing overheating of Christmas lights started the fire. After the investigation, the debris can now be cleared away and the losses which are huge are still being evaluated by the stall holders.
Presépios of Portugal in Santana. Joao Egidio Rodriques, since he was six years old, has amassed a collection of over 2,000 nativity pieces from various countries and a hundred are displayed in the Casa da Cultura in Santana. This year, he will again be responsible for the decorations in the Largo do Chafariz and the large presépio in Funchal. Gold, red and purple are this year’s colours. The figures have arrived from the continent and are awaiting his final touches.
Nails are ‘bleeding’ trees. Council have acknowledged the error and have had to replace the nails. Dozen of nails were driven by the Council itself into the trees that support the Christmas lights in Câmara de Lobos. This practice was once widespread but now has been virtually banned by environmentalists. The Mayor of Câmara de Lobos was annoyed by the wave of criticism and counter-attacked, "Today even a nail into a tree causes an outcry but maybe these people do not see the number of trees that were planted." He devalues the impact of the nails as he thinks they do not have any effect, and in some circumstances the branches will be cut during pruning. Quercus, the environment lobby, criticize driving nails, screws or other sharp materials into trees as they can cause the death of the tree, and other methods can be used. The fact that this practice has been carried out by local officials reinforced the tone of criticism, "Even more serious because the authority itself knows what it takes to keep the trees and public spaces healthy." What often happens is that the ornaments are removed but the nails are left in place, with consequences later on for the tree. 
Closure of São Lazaro by the end of the year. The Administration of the Harbours is to shut São Lazaro in the next 20 days due to a contract ending. 48 sailing vessels will have to be removed, not an easy task as some are in for maintenance work and some have been abandoned, occasionally the owner is not known. The administrators of Funchal Marina are trying to contact the owners but moving large boats in bad condition will be difficult and the authorities will not assume that responsibility. Three dozen owners of small boats will not have any facilities for storing the boats or equipment. This closure is due to the development of the Northern area of the port of Funchal. The opening of the area at Água de Pena should occur this week and will be managed by the same firm that manages the marinas at Quinta do Lorde and Porto Santo. 
Arabic crisis hinders ‘new’ Technopólo - It was announced with pomp and circumstance in 2005, the second phase of development of the Science and Technology Park of Madeira is now in check. The crisis has hit Arabic investors. For anyone with the time and urge to translate this article, here is the 
Dallas Circus in Funchal with a tent big enough for two thousand – The controversy is over : The Madeiran Xmas has a circus, Dallas, that was in the Marítimo Fair. For anyone with the time and urge to translate this article, here is the 
